What a Successful National Water Strategy Looks Like & Why It Matters

By Will Sarni

It is estimated that currently 844 million people live without clean water, and 2.3 billion people do not have access to basic sanitation, according to water.org. Water scarcity affects more than 40 percent of the world’s population, and this figure is projected to rise due to increased demand and the impacts of climate change. Climate change itself has increased the occurrence and severity of floods and other water-related disasters with 70 percent of all deaths caused by natural disasters.

Wicked problems, such as water scarcity, poor quality, lack of access, and inequity can be solved by leveraging the capabilities, attributes, and scale of all stakeholder groups. While there is a tendency to focus on engaging the private sector and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in addressing water issues, the responsibility of the public sector is often ignored. For example, over the past several years, the focus on “Day Zero” has mostly ignored the issue that long-term national water strategy and policies are the responsibilities of the public sector. A “Day Zero” should not be a surprise in a world where water is poorly governed, overallocated, in increasing demand, and impacted by climate change.